The glass ceiling is a term used to describe an invisible but very effective barrier that women confront when attempting to advance in leadership positions. Throughout history women in positions of power have overcome numerous obstacles to obtain equal footing to their male counterparts in the corporate world. Some obstacles women have overcome are objectification, societal obligations and discrimination. In this paper, I will explore the history of the glass ceiling, women who have shattered the glass and review key strategies and skills for upcoming female leaders to continue career advancement. As leaders cannot continue to forge ahead in the corporate world without understanding the struggles and successes of those who have broken through
…show more content…
10). Martin studied the disadvantages that women experience in the workplace and determined that there was numerous gender specific attitude based biases. Some of these attitude biases were objectification, societal obligations and discrimination. Objectification in broad terms is treating a person as an object or tool without regarding them as a person. In the workplace this occurred broadly under sexual objectification of women. Historically in a male dominated environment women have felt pressure to appease. Pai & Vaidya showcased this domination with the statistic from a 1995 study indicating “males held 95 percent of all top management positons” (Pai, 2006, p. 421). According to a report from the Glass Ceiling Commission (1995), up to 97% of senior manager with Fortune 500 companies are men. (Miller, 1998, p. 4) Laura Stien notes “male behavior frequently relies on superior male status” and a “compliance or levy penalties” attitude is norm (Katz, 2001, p. 88). In this type of male dominated working environment, a female may fear …show more content…
Prior to Affirmative Action companies had the ability to openly hire, promote and fire employees without explanation or oversight. This ability solidified the glass ceiling by allowing overt discrimination to occur. Qualified women were not given the opportunity to interview for positions based on gender and were being evaluated by harsher standards than their male counterparts. Segregated evaluation standards are no longer legal due to the Civil Rights Act barring sexual discrimination in the workplace. However, Fain indicates in his research that despite the forced stop of discrimination “lower levels of management hierarchy achieve gender balance fairly quickly, but the upper levels of management take much longer”(Katz, 2001, p. 286). Therefore, the statistic that “over 50% of upper levels of management are held by males” is not surprising. (Katz, 2001, p. 289) With men dominating a majority of upper level positions and the historically slow equalization of gender balance it is not a stretch to believe concealed discrimination
10). Martin studied the disadvantages that women experience in the workplace and determined that there was numerous gender specific attitude based biases. Some of these attitude biases were objectification, societal obligations and discrimination. Objectification in broad terms is treating a person as an object or tool without regarding them as a person. In the workplace this occurred broadly under sexual objectification of women. Historically in a male dominated environment women have felt pressure to appease. Pai & Vaidya showcased this domination with the statistic from a 1995 study indicating “males held 95 percent of all top management positons” (Pai, 2006, p. 421). According to a report from the Glass Ceiling Commission (1995), up to 97% of senior manager with Fortune 500 companies are men. (Miller, 1998, p. 4) Laura Stien notes “male behavior frequently relies on superior male status” and a “compliance or levy penalties” attitude is norm (Katz, 2001, p. 88). In this type of male dominated working environment, a female may fear …show more content…
Prior to Affirmative Action companies had the ability to openly hire, promote and fire employees without explanation or oversight. This ability solidified the glass ceiling by allowing overt discrimination to occur. Qualified women were not given the opportunity to interview for positions based on gender and were being evaluated by harsher standards than their male counterparts. Segregated evaluation standards are no longer legal due to the Civil Rights Act barring sexual discrimination in the workplace. However, Fain indicates in his research that despite the forced stop of discrimination “lower levels of management hierarchy achieve gender balance fairly quickly, but the upper levels of management take much longer”(Katz, 2001, p. 286). Therefore, the statistic that “over 50% of upper levels of management are held by males” is not surprising. (Katz, 2001, p. 289) With men dominating a majority of upper level positions and the historically slow equalization of gender balance it is not a stretch to believe concealed discrimination